As a result of the high cost of pure (or high purity) ethylene, efforts have been directed to utilizing dilute ethylene in the alkylation of benzene to form ethylbenzene.
While it has been discovered that the use of dilute ethylene generally results in low xylene formation, the high methane and hydrogen content thereof generally results in a bubble point temperature of the combined mixture of dilute ethylene and benzene that is very low. For example, the bubble point temperature may be lower than the activity temperature of the ethylation catalyst. Accordingly, it has not been possible for liquid phase alkylation of dilute ethylene.
A need exists to develop a method of utilizing lower cost ethylene in alkylation reactions.